Sarajevo

By David Chater in Asia on December 1st, 2009
Photo by GALLO/GETTY

Biting into another Oreo made in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, I cannot escape that uncomfortable feeling I’ve lived through this moment before.

I'm sitting in much more comfortable circumstances than usual: a room in the 5-star Serena Hotel in the centre of Kabul, watching the outpourings of the cable channels across the world as President Obama’s moment of history approaches.

I began my career in journalism just as the war in Vietnam was ending. The images of that debacle - which only with hindsight now seems inevitable - did much to propel me into a career as a television correspondent and a check-in to the world’s conflict zones.

In the opening stages of the civil war in Sri Lanka I was staying in the Hotel Oberoi as the bloody pogroms against the Tamils were underway on the streets of Colombo.

By Barnaby Phillips in Europe on October 21st, 2009
Radovan Karadzic, photo by Getty Images

I'm travelling to Bosnia this week. I'll be there to cover reaction to the beginning of the trial of the Bosnian Serb war time leader, Radovan Karadzic. The trial is taking place at the Hague, and Mr Karadzic is charged with crimes against humanity.  We'll be hearing a lot more about the horrific events of the early 90's in the coming months.

But whilst in Sarajevo, I'll also be keeping an ear out for opinions on the current situation in Bosnia.

The country is in a political crisis, although until now, the rest of the world has been paying little attention. Co-operation between the leaders of ethnic Serbs on one side, and Bosniak Muslims and Croats on the other, has broken down. This week EU and American mediators are in Sarajevo, trying to patch together a deal.

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